CHICAGO | General Developments

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Jibba

I'm on the "for" side of this as well. It probably is gimmicky, but there's something about the dynamic of vertically proportioned windows against a horizontally proportioned building mass that feels good to me. And the fenestration pattern feels dynamic too (which is a trend but one that I don't mind having around).

Same here. Like the rythym on this one.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Jibba

In that sense I agree, definitely. For North/Clybourn specifically, I wouldn't feel inclined to stroll through my neighborhood, being surrounded by strip centers, the highway, the river, and vacant CHA land and all.

It would be great if they could humanize the N-S ped. crossings over North Ave. in that area; it would help connect it to the typical urban area of Lincoln Park to the north. I believe North Ave itself can't be touched as it's an evacuation route; maybe close the portion of Clybourn that spans Halsted to North?

As mentioned above, the riverfront/Wild Mile is probably the best chance to improve walkability in this area. But it's already pretty walkable (in the WalkScore sense) despite the heavy traffic. If you live here, there is the city's largest Whole Foods, various good bars/restaurants, and any category killer retail you want, all within a 5 minute walk. Then there is a 24-hour subway station to take you anywhere else. The convenience is hard to match anywhere in the city except maybe River North.

North Avenue itself is unpleasant with narrow sidewalks, but there is a signalized intersection at every block and the side streets are not bad at all.

[Jibba]

Originally Posted by ardecila

As mentioned above, the riverfront/Wild Mile is probably the best chance to improve walkability in this area. But it's already pretty walkable (in the WalkScore sense) despite the heavy traffic. If you live here, there is the city's largest Whole Foods, various good bars/restaurants, and any category killer retail you want, all within a 5 minute walk. Then there is a 24-hour subway station to take you anywhere else. The convenience is hard to match anywhere in the city except maybe River North.

North Avenue itself is unpleasant with narrow sidewalks, but there is a signalized intersection at every block and the side streets are not bad at all.

It’s great on paper, to be sure. It’s just a completely uninviting place to walk around, to me. Feels downright hostile to walking, really.

[dewbs]

Originally Posted by Jibba

It’s great on paper, to be sure. It’s just a completely uninviting place to walk around, to me. Feels downright hostile to walking, really.

But also simultaneously hostile to driving. Just a very weird warren back there. Also to me feels very disconnected from the parts of lincoln park to the north. The river blocks it to the west, the east side of clybourn is a complete wall (and new shitty doesn't help), and to the south you run into a completely dead stretch of division.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Jibba

It’s great on paper, to be sure. It’s just a completely uninviting place to walk around, to me. Feels downright hostile to walking, really.

I think regular folks won't care so much. With a complete network of sidewalks, a heavy concentration of businesses and residences, and frequent crosswalks and a 24-hour subway, this is already more walkable than 99.9% of this country.

Also, things are getting better. The site plan for Big Deahl is pretty great. Instead of big podiums that fill the lot to max out the parking, they did skinnier buildings and are building a pocket park between them that should allow all kinds of quick little shortcuts through the block - if they don't keep the fences locked. Really a nice piece of urbanism. Reminds me of Northern Liberties in Philly on a small scale. Of course it could turn out shitty like Wicker Park Connection...

[marothisu]

A new 4 story, 156,000 sq ft retail building with a 168 parking spot garage was permitted for Canal St between 17th and 18th St. This is made up of various people from the Chinese community such as one of the owners of MingHin. This development is across the river from Chinatown, and basically across the street from the Oriental Wholesale Market and another retail Chinese grocery store. The development was passed by city council in April 2020 in the early days of COVID. I thought this was dead in the water, but voila - permit issued yesterday.

The land has been most recently used as a storage yard for semi trailers. For awhile before that it was vacant and has been vacant for at least 15 years. The project has been written back as far as 2015 in Crains when they talked about wanting to make a 40,000 sq ft grocery store ("Whole Foods, but Asian"). And then they submitted another zoning application to up that nearly 4X in 2020, which was approved. Vari was the architect back then. Looks like the main entrance would actually be on the corner of 17th and Canal.

Streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/place/17...!4d-87.6389546

[ardecila]

So weird - this site was in the news just days ago as a site that activists were pushing for the new Near South high school. https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/02...e-high-school/

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that progressive activists can't do basic due diligence on a property, but Alderman Sigcho was at the press conference! It's in his ward and the zoning change passed on his watch! This is the second time now that I've noticed Sigcho be seemingly ignorant of major developments in his own ward (although under the new map this will move to the 11th Ward). I guess I can't complain if developers keep finding ways to slip it past the goalie...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ardecila

So weird - this site was in the news just days ago as a site that activists were pushing for the new Near South high school. https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/02...e-high-school/

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that progressive activists can't do basic due diligence on a property, but Alderman Sigcho was at the press conference! It's in his ward and the zoning change passed on his watch! This is the second time now that I've noticed Sigcho be seemingly ignorant of development in his own ward (although under the new map this will move to the 11th Ward). I guess I can't complain if developers keep finding ways to slip it past the goalie...

That's what I thought too and had the same thoughts as you. The one with the retail plaza that was just permitted has been owned by this venture since 2015. But apparently the site these activists want is north of 17th st and closer to the train tracks. Not the same land. The retail plaza will go into the parcel between 18th, Stewart, 17th, and Canal, which is south of 17th.

[ardecila]

That means the error was on the part of Block Club reporter. But that small site is even weirder.

I believe that site was being reserved for the Streets and San to relocate their yard from 18th/Clark. How do you fit a high school on such a tiny little site? Even Jones HS has a much bigger site, and that is a very vertical high school. Why would anyone think that's a feasible site? I guess the HS could go on the old Streets & San site at 18th/Clark, that is a bit bigger.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ardecila

That means the error was on the part of Block Club reporter. But that small site is even weirder.

I believe that site was being reserved for the Streets and San to relocate their yard from 18th/Clark. How do you fit a high school on such a tiny little site? Even Jones HS has a much bigger site, and that is a very vertical high school. Why would anyone think that's a feasible site? I guess the HS could go on the old Streets & San site at 18th/Clark, that is a bit bigger.

It's a really weird site, and I'd think that chances of it happening there are slim to none. Pretty sure if it happens, it'll be on the South Loop site at 24th & State, near Chinatown.


By the way, this retail plaza will be just over triple the size of the newer retail Plaza at Canal & Archer (Canal Plaza).

[urbanpln]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's a really weird site, and I'd think that chances of it happening there are slim to none. Pretty sure if it happens, it'll be on the South Loop site at 24th & State, near Chinatown.

I'm hoping it does not go there. I worked on the RFP with the CHA about 8 years ago. The plan we selected was a dense (nearly 900 units) walkable development that creates a nice street wall from Cermak to 24th Place. Located the school there would take away much need population in that area.

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by ardecila

So weird - this site was in the news just days ago as a site that activists were pushing for the new Near South high school.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that progressive activists can't do basic due diligence on a property

just wait until we have a 21 PERSON ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD that oversees CPS

[ithakas]

Why not build it here and cluster it with the new South Loop elementary building?

https://therealdeal.com/chicago/2018...ng-south-loop/

EDIT: Nevermind, assuming they've already sold it...

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's a really weird site, and I'd think that chances of it happening there are slim to none. Pretty sure if it happens, it'll be on the South Loop site at 24th & State, near Chinatown.


By the way, this retail plaza will be just over triple the size of the newer retail Plaza at Canal & Archer (Canal Plaza).

Public transit access from the rest of its catchment area would also be terrible.

[SteelMonkey]

Not sure if this has been posted prior -

https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...fde-story.html


A group founded by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and his wife will spend $250 million to create a new biomedical research hub in Chicago where scientists from Northwestern University, University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will study human disease.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, named for Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, plans to invest $250 million in the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago over a decade. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has also committed $25 million in state dollars to support the project.

Biohub leaders are still in the process of finding a location, which will include laboratories, meeting spaces and special instrumentation and equipment.

Northwestern, UChicago and UIUC beat out proposals from about 60 other teams across the country to win the funding.

The hub will be the second of its kind in the country. The first CZ Biohub was founded in San Francisco in 2016 in collaboration with Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; and University of California, San Francisco.

article continues

[Randomguy34]

^ It's being discussed in the Economic Development thread: https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...25033&page=245

[ithakas]

The LaSalle Street Reimagined meeting was last night, and all of the proposals seemed promising to me. Here's some info on 30 N. LaSalle:

https://chicago.urbanize.city/post/l...d-30-n-lasalle

[mh777]

Rogers Park Holdings is proposing a new 9-story residential building at 135 N. Des Plaines. Will go in front of ZBA on March 17th.

[joemits]

Rafael Vinoly passed away at 78 from an aneurysm. Nema was one of my favorites in the last few year. Rip.

[ardecila]

I'm glad to finally see a proposal at 135 N Desplaines, but why does it have to be one of these condo boxes? It's not ugly per se, but the ground floor will be more blank wall shit with parking behind. Such a disappointment when you've got vibrant restaurants Avec and Blackbird right next door.